Football Daily

One of the best game stories in pro football occurred on December 9, 1934, at the Polo Grounds, New York City. "The Sneakers Game" is the name of this National Football League Championship contest of 1934. A rematch of the two teams that played in the 1933 League Title game, the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants. The Bears entered the game as the favorites; after all, they had not lost a game all season and had beaten the Giants twice earlier. Weather, the great equalizer set in, and John Mara, the Giants treasurer, noticed that the turf of the Polo Grounds was practically a sheet of ice just hours before kick-off. Mara informed the coaching staff, including team Captain Ray Flaherty, about the field. Flaherty's thoughts went back to a game he remembered; he and his team at Gonzaga College had played with similar icy conditions where they took off their cleats and put on basketball shoes to try and gain better traction. Equipment personnel of the Giants raced over to Manhattan College to borrow their basketball teams' footwear. Both teams struggled with traction at the onset of the game, but right about then, Head Coach Steve Owen deployed his secret strategy and had his receivers and backs put the limited amount of sneakers they had on loan. The G-men had gained a definite advantage and scored four touchdowns in the final stanza to surprise the Chicago Bears with a 30-13 Giants victory.